An eerie silence prevailed.
Guo Long lifted his head, disbelief etched on his face as he stared at Wu Yuan, his chest throbbing in pain. Even with the protective gear, his qi was in turmoil.
How can this be? His steps were not quick, how did he dodge a direct thrust from me? Guo Long struggled to accept it.
He had dedicated six whole years to perfecting his spear arts. And yet, he couldn't even last a single exchange against a fourteen-year-old boy?
"I lost!" Guo Long gritted his teeth. Though he was reluctant, a loss was a loss! Guo Long knew that if Wu Yuan had not held back at the last moment, that staff thrust would have left him crippled or severely injured.
"Thank you for your mercy, Senior Brother Wu." Guo Long rose and spoke in a low voice. He had changed how he addressed Wu Yuan to Senior Brother Wu.
Within the Cloudstride Sect, all disciples of the various martial academies referred to the disciples of the Cloud Martial Hall as senior brothers.
Wu Yuan acknowledged his words with a slight nod, turning his gaze toward Yu Mo and Xie Yu.
Gu Ji frowned slightly.
Below the platform, all the instructors and disciples stared at Wu Yuan in astonishment. How incredible. The power he displayed didn't look that outrageous, yet he defeated Guo Long in a single move.
Wu Yuan's combat prowess was evident to all. His footwork and spear skills surpassed these tertiary academy students by a large margin.
Headmaster Yu Mo declared, "Wu Yuan is the victor of this match." He then turned to Xie Yu. "Inspector Xie, I believe there is no need to continue with the next four bouts."
Xie Yu maintained a cold silence.
"Inspector Xie?" The headmaster knitted his brows, a flash of anger in his eyes.
"Wu Yuan is exceptionally gifted, warranting enrolment via special recruitment." Xie Yu calmly responded, "Rest assured, Headmaster, I am capable of fair judgment and will endorse his enrollment."
Headmaster Yu Mo's expression softened slightly.
"Wu Yuan." Xie Yu's gaze shifted to Wu Yuan, a hint of admiration in her eyes, and a shadow of a smile on her face, "You are truly strong. Don't waste your talents, and don't end up like Gao Yu."
"Headmaster, I still have several sectors to patrol, I shall take my leave." Xie Yu promptly exited the martial grand hall.
Headmaster Yu Mo sighed as he watched her depart.
"Alright, the assessment is over. Chen Qing, coordinate the endorsements of all instructors and students," Headmaster Yu Mo instructed. "Also, ensure that no information about today's duel is leaked. Violators will be severely punished!"
"Understood." Chen Qing promptly responded.
"Wu Yuan, come with me," said Headmaster Yu Mo as he began to walk away. Wu Yuan followed.
Only after Headmaster Yu Mo, Wu Yuan, and Gu Ji disappeared from view did the martial combat hall erupt in a flurry of discussion.
"Guo Long has a single arm strength surpassing 15,000 catties. Among martial virtuosos, he is formidable. But he lost in just one exchange."
"This Wu Yuan is a monster. Can you believe he's only fourteen years old?"
"Even a third-rate Adept might not necessarily be his match."
The group of martial academy students chattered amongst themselves. Though the assessment was brief, it left a huge impact on them
Meanwhile, several martial academy instructors also gathered around, their astonishment evident. "Wu Yuan must have mastered Power Surge," one of them exclaimed, disbelief in his voice. "That last spear strike transformed too quickly. Without a boost from Power Surge, it'd be downright impossible!"
Another instructor chimed in, "Even if he hasn't mastered it, he must be close."
"He's just fourteen years old. Between him and Xu Hui, I wonder who is more talented."
The instructors engaged in a lively discussion. As second-rate Adepts, all of them had discerning eyes.
Deep within the martial academy was the spacious and simply decorated headmaster's office. Apart from a large desk and a weapon rack holding a single spear, the room was bare.
"Yu Mo, after returning to the sect, I will report today's matters to the hall master." Gu Ji spoke with a cold voice, "Xie Yu is too emotional. She is not fit to be an inspector of the martial academy."
"She was simply unaware," the headmaster shook his head slightly, sighing, "Even I didnt know that Wu Yuan had already mastered Power Surge."
"If Wu Yuan wasn't at least this talented, would the hall master have assigned me to protect him?" Gu Ji retorted, his tone icy.
Wu Yuan stood silently at the side, listening intently to them. He could tell that Gu Ji and Headmaster Yu Mo were familiar with each other. This made sense, there were only about 200-300 first-rate Adepts within the Cloudstride Sect. Even if Gu Ji had been concealing his identity, it was inevitable that some experts would recognize him.
Headmaster Yu Mo let out a weary sigh. "You have the right to report this matter, and I will also inform the higher-ups."
Gu Ji did not continue the conversation.
"Wu Yuan, you never mentioned that you mastered Power Surge," Headmaster Yu Mo turned to Wu Yuan.
"Headmaster, today is our first meeting. Moreover, Protectorate Gao has advised me not to reveal too much," Wu Yuan shook his head.
Headmaster Yu Mo felt a sense of helplessness creeping in.
"With your strength, there was no need to disclose your mastery of Power Surge just now. I am confident you could have emerged victorious even without it," Headmaster Yu Mo sighed. "Now that you have unveiled your skills, it will be challenging to keep it under wraps. Despite my orders not to spread the news, many eyes witnessed your assessment. This may bring you unnecessary trouble."
A fourteen-year-old martial virtuoso versus a fourteen-year-old martial virtuoso who mastered Power Surge were two entirely different concepts! The latter theoretically had the potential to become a Grandmaster. This was precisely why Gao Yu attached such great importance to Wu Yuan.
"Headmaster, I'm frustrated," Wu Yuan said calmly, "If I wasn't sure that Guo Long had nothing to do with this, he wouldn't have suffered such a simple defeat."
Headmaster Yu Mo was momentarily rendered speechless before the realization dawned upon him. Despite Wu Yuan's composed demeanor, he was still just a fourteen-year-old boy. Perhaps he had set his expectations a bit too high.
"Wu Yuan, that Xie Yu who made things difficult for you is associated with Protectorate Gao who initiated your enrolment into the sect," Headmaster Yu Mo sighed.
"Of course, I am not trying to excuse her actions. This is a grudge between the older generation. We should not have involved you in our past grievances."
"Alright, enough said. Rest assured, I will report the news to Senior Dong as quickly as possible, then send the news back to Li City and the headquarters of the sect," Headmaster Yu Mo said, "Wu Yuan, you should set off for the sect as soon as possible."
"Thank you, Headmaster." Wu Yuan responded vaguely, "I need to return to my lodgings to gather a few things first."
... Wu Yuan and Gu Ji made their way back to the Radiant Hall.
"Young Master, you did that on purpose just now, didn't you?" Gu Ji asked.
"If I don't give Xie Yu some trouble, won't she think I'm a pushover?" Wu Yuan shook his head, "Uncle Ji, you're not angry with me, are you?"
"The fault lies with Xie Yu, not you," Gu Ji affirmed. "Rest assured, Young Master. When we return to the sect, the hall master will explain everything to you."
Wu Yuan nodded slightly. He didn't care much about Xie Yu's difficulties, nor was he eager to take revenge. The sect was enormous and consisted of people from all walks of life. Nevertheless, if there was ever a chance in the future, Wu Yuan wouldn't mind teaching her a lesson himself.
Soon, they returned to their courtyard house.
"Uncle Ji, we'll set off tomorrow morning," Wu Yuan said softly.
"Tomorrow morning? To the sect?" Gu Ji asked.
"Not to the sect." Wu Yuan shook his head, "First, let's return to Li City. I wish to bid farewell to my mother."
"Alright." Gu Ji nodded, not finding anything amiss.
At dusk, the setting sun's afterglow spread across the vast Southdragon River as a large boat slowly docked at a small, unassuming wharf by the river.
Within a room on the second floor of the boat.
"Uncle Ji, is everything in order?" Wu Yuan inquired.
"Fear not, Young Master. All arrangements have been made," Gu Ji responded, "As you wish to focus on consuming the Soul Condensing Pill, we shall remain here for the next few days, and proceed once you emerge from seclusion."
"No one will dare disturb you, Young Master," he added.
Although Gu Ji found Wu Yuan's sudden request to consume a Soul Condensing Pill puzzling, he wisely chose not to probe further.
With the previous incidents fresh in their minds, they were now much more cautious, and departed discreetly. However, Gu Ji deemed the likelihood of another assassination attempt to be quite low.
The veil of night gradually descended.
While everyone on board believed Wu Yuan to be meditating, a shadowy figure emerged from the second floor of the large boat.
Disembarking from the boat, the silhouette vanished into the vast darkness.
Just 200 li to Li City. I should make it within two hours.
Xu Shouyi, you won't survive this night.
The figure gripped his saber tightly as he sped across the land, blending seamlessly with the shadows.